1909. 49 



REVIEWS. 



THE LIST OF IRISH BIRDS. 



A List of Irish Birds, showing the Species coutaiued in the Natioual 

 Collection. By Richard J. Ussher, M.R.I.A., M.B.O.U. General 

 Gnide to the Natural History Collections (Museum of vScience and 

 Art). Dublin ; (Official), 190S. Price ^d. 



The National Museum is to be warmly congratulated on the publica- 

 tion of the new '' List of Irish Birds," drawn up with all the care and 

 minute knowledge that invariably distinguish any work to which Mr. 

 Ussher puts his hand. Though following to a great extent the familiar 

 lines of the old List drawn up by the late A. G. More in 1885, and revised 

 by him in 1889, Mr. Ussher has gone to the utmost pains to ensure that 

 the largest amount of new information which the limits of space would 

 permit shall be accessible to those who make use — as we hope that a very 

 large number will do — of the new publication. Thus the subjects of dis- 

 tribution and migration are much more fully dealt with in the 1908 list 

 than was possible in either of the two previous editions. Mr. Ussher 

 also gives, for the benefit of beginners in ornithology, some practical hints 

 as to the marks by which certain species may be recognised — a distinctly 

 new departure in a list of this character. The order followed is that used 

 in the late Howard Saunders's well-known "Manual of British Birds." 

 As Mr. More, in the two editions of his list, followed the order of the 

 4th edition (by Newton and Saunders) of Yarrell's '* British Birds," the 

 bringing out of Mr. Ussher's list has necessitated a re-arrangement of 

 the collection of Irish birds in the Museum — a change which, happily, 

 the Museum authorities were able to carry out before the week fixed for 

 the meeting of the British Association. 



In addition to the newer arrangement and the fuller information, Mr. 

 Ussher's list has, of course, the merit of including a considerable number 

 of new species added to the birds of Ireland between the close of 1889 and 

 the autumn of 1908. Had the publication been delayed a few months 

 later, however, the list would have been enriched by as man}' as three 

 additional species— two completely new, while the other had been pre- 

 viously bracketed as doubtful — which struck the Rockabill lighthouse 

 during the late foggy autumn, and were shortly afterwards announced 

 by Mr. Barringtou : — The Reed-Warbler {Acrocephalus streperus)^ Pallas's 

 Grasshopper- Warbler {Locusfella certhiold), and Little Bunting {Embensa 

 pusilla). 



The number of new species added to the Irish list since Mr. More's 

 publication was issued is set down by Dr. Scharif in the "Preface' as 

 twenty-six. Mr. Ussher, in his " Introduction," which follows the 

 Preface, enumerates twenty-eight, of which, however, five are bracketed 

 as not, in the author's judgment, entitled to a full place. This would 

 reduce the total number to twenty-three, which, however, is raised to 

 twentj'-six again by the three lighthouse occurrences enumerated above. 



